“…there’s such a warmth to the way by which this Chicago-based singer-songwriter crafts his music it supersedes the Avant Garde. And his brilliant new LP, Locust Land, is no exception.” – Rock and Roll Globe

Bill MacKay is a guitarist, improviser, composer, and singer based in Chicago.

An accomplished collaborator with projects that include Katinka Kleijn (Stir, 2019), Nathan Bowles (Keys, 2021), and Ryley Walker (SpiderBeetleBee, 2017), MacKay is also a solo artist creating multi-dimensional works such as Esker (2017), Fountain Fire (2019) Scarf (2020), and Locust Land (2024), all released on Drag City Records.

MacKay’s guitar mastery and songwriting were also highlighted by his commissioned score for the short film Flight Logs in 2019 (Chicago Film Archives).

His book Movie House/Sala de Cine, released in 2022, appeared in an English/Spanish edition translated by the author. MacKay is also a poet, visual artist and polyglot, and is a member of both the avant-garde rock outfit Black Duck (with Douglas McCombs) and the experimental groove-drone project BCMC (with Cooper Crain).

Among other publications, his work has received praise in the Washington Post, Chicago Reader, New York Times, Mojo, Uncut, Downbeat, Paste, Pitchfork, and NPR.
chael Butler, Cincinnati experimental ensemble Knee Play, and Indianapolis-based production company NoExit Performance.

Opening the show is Neutrals

Neutrals is a percussion duo based in Dayton, OH. Formed in 2016 by Evan Miller and Andrew Seivert, the duo combines their Rust Belt underground upbringings and classical training into a contemporary ensemble firmly grounded by their Midwestern roots. Equal parts written works and electroacoustic improvisation, Neutrals performs established percussion duo repertoire, drone/noise-based improvised music, and above all, commissioned works by living composers. Past and current collaborators include composers Rob Funkhouser, Nate May, Hugh Sheehan, and Brooks Frederickson, percussionist Aaron Michael Butler, Cincinnati experimental ensemble Knee Play, and Indianapolis-based production company NoExit Performance.